Conor O'Brien, 18th Baron Inchiquin
 | This article relies too much on references to primary sources. (January 2022) |
The Lord Inchiquin | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Conor O'Brien, 18th Baron Inchiquin, painted by his mother. | |
| Baron Inchiquin | |
| Assumed office 1982 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Conor Myles John O'Brien 17 July 1943 Surrey, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse(s) | Helen O'Farrell, (m. 1988) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Fionn Myles Maryons O'Brien Josephine Reine O'Brien |
| Education | Claremont Fan Court School Eton College Mons Officer Cadet School |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch/service |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1962–1975 |
| Rank | Captain |
Conor Myles John O'Brien, 18th Baron Inchiquin (born 17 July 1943) is a British-born holder of an Irish peerage, of the 31st generation in direct descent from Irish High King Brian Boru.[citation needed] Although the principal Irish residence was sold, he remains a landowner in County Clare.[1]
Early life[]
He is the son of the Fionn Myles Maryons O'Brien (28 October 1903 – 2 August 1977) and Josephine Reine O'Brien née Bembaron (circa 1913-27 October 2011).[2] Fionn was the son of Lucius William O'Brien, 15th Baron of Inchiquin and Ethel Jane Foster. O'Brien was educated at Eton College.[2]
Career[]
O'Brien commissioned into the 14th/20th Kings Hussars of the British Army in 1963. He served as a troop commander in Benghazi, Tripoli, Cyprus on Operation Tosca, Tidworth, Paderborn (as assistant adjutant), Singapore, and Tidworth as adjutant of the regiment. He became Aide-de-Camp to Commander British Forces Gulf in Bahrain and left the army in 1975, retiring with the rank of Captain.[2]
Although the ancestral seat of Dromoland Castle has since left family hands O'Brien has continued to run the lands on the estate left in family hands. O'Brien ran an exclusive guest house in the new family home, Thomond House, adjacent to the former seat, from 1984 until 2008. O'Brien also turned the residual Dromoland Estate into a sporting and leisure venue. In April 2010, he was awarded €7.9m in damages by the High Court over the repudiation of an agreement to buy 377 acres out of the 600 acres of the Dromoland estate which his family still owned.[3] In 2012, in a long running dispute with the management of Dromoland Castle, O'Brien was refused an initial application to the High Court for them to immediately return 37 paintings that were loaned several decades prior; the hotel wanted to copy the paintings and then return them, possibly on a phased basis.[4][5][6]
Other Work[]
In 1998, Conor O'Brien visited Antioch, California for St. Patrick's Day and Antioch's first St. Patrick's Day Crinniu, hosted by then-Councilman Allen Payton and the city's council proclaimed "Sir Conor O'Brien Day".[7]
O'Brien has also served as Chairman of the Standing Council of Irish Chiefs and Chieftains.[2]
Family[]
O'Brien succeeded to the peerage on the death of his uncle, Phaedrig O'Brien, 17th Baron Inchiquin, in 1982.[8][9]
O'Brien has a sister.[2]
He married Helen O'Farrell in 1988, and together they have two children.[2]
The family seat of Dromoland Castle was sold after Donough O'Brien, 16th Baron Inchiquin was forced to sell a large part of the estate (c. 350 acres) to billionaire industrialist Bernard McDonough. The castle today functions as a luxury hotel and is owned by a number of Irish-American businessmen.[10][11]
The 16th Baron built a smaller residence adjacent to the estate, Thomond House, which he moved into in 1965. Conor O'Brien continues to reside in Thomond House.[2]
References[]
- ^ McGuinness, Katy (1 February 2019). "Rare chance to acquire a modern show house on the grounds of Dromoland Castle". Irish Independent. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Conor O'Brien Bio". O'Brien Clan Foundation. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
- ^ "Clare estate owner awarded €7.9m damages against O'Brien-controlled TPH". BreakingNews.ie. 13 April 2010. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
- ^ "Baron loses court bid on paintings". The Irish Times. 19 September 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
- ^ Clarke, Jody (19 September 2012). "Court refuses to give Dromoland paintings back to Lord". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
- ^ Deegan, Gordan (24 March 2017). "Lord fails in attempt to halt €16m upgrade at Dromoland Castle". Irish Independent. Dublin. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
- ^ "St. Patrick's event was fun day for all". Ledger Dispatch. Sir Conor O'Brien was received warmly, and was taken aback when he received the proclamation from the City Council of "Sir Conor O'Brien Day in the City of ... 28 March 1998. pp. A10. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
- ^ "O'BRIENS FIND ROOTS IN UTAH". The Deseret News. Salt Lake City, UT. 16 February 1997. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
- ^ "Welcome to the O'Brien Clan – Sir Conor O'Brien". Archived from the original on 15 May 2010.
- ^ Brian O'Connell, Cian O'Carroll: Brendan O'Regan, Irish innovator, visionary and peacemaker . - Irish Academic Press, 2018. ISBN 978-1788550246 p. 169
- '^ Dermot Walsh: Mr. Shannon' ... All His Dreams Come True. - in: Clare, Our People Our Place, Special Diamond Jubilee Edition. - The Clare Association. ISSN 0791-1033. Original publication in Yearbook 2009 of The Clare Association.
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Lordship of Ireland  |
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Kingdom of Ireland  |
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| United Kingdom |
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* Current title holders, listed by date of creation, from earliest to most recent. Italics in entries mean the titleholder also holds another barony of greater precedence. ^* Also a Baron in the Peerage of Great Britain ^• Also a Baron in the Peerage of the United Kingdom ^† Currently without an heir ^HL Currently a member of the House of Lords | |||||||||||
- People educated at Eton College
- Living people
- O'Brien dynasty
- 1943 births
- Barons Inchiquin
- Irish Anglicans